An employee asked me where the expression "86" originated from! I just don't know but promised I would follow up. PLEASE HELP!!!

I got these from an other bullitin board. http://www.webfoodpros.com/discus/


"As far as I know, the phrase 86'ed refers to the dimensions of a grave; that is, 8' by 6'. This seems a logical explanation when you think of it in terms of it "being dead" or sort of putting it to rest. Make sense?"

I always heard that it was a number of a popular dish at a hotel restaurant I think the Waldorf-Astoria. On the menu it was #86 and they kept running out of it. Supposedly the term caught on.

in school we learned that it came from the restaurant delmonico's. Item number 86 ran out all opf the time. I believe the item was their delmonico steak.

I heard it came from Escoffier, himself. He referred to his recipes by number and one day they ran out of (which was a totally forbidden thing) Recipe "86". Since running out of things was unheard of and the person in charge of this particular item probably soon lost his job and his head.....the running out of an item earned the name "86". But that's just what I heard.

It is my understanding that it was borrowed from the policy of "86ing" someone when that person has had too much to drink. He/she is no longer being served. 86 refers to article 86 of the New York State Liquor laws that define when someone should not, legally, be served in places that sell alcoholic beverages. I could be wrong, but, I don't think I am.

Take your pick

tim

sorry, they are very wrong.

the term came about during prohibition & was coined by the nypd in reference to a speakeasy located @ 86 spring street.

it seems that evey time they tried to raid the place, the proprietors of this particular speakeasy would have it emptied as the only way to get to get to the place was through a rather long run through a long winding gangway. they would be tipped off as police entered from the front. with a very sophisticated system of trap doors & shoots, clients, playing cards & drinking hootch out of tea cups would disapear before police could enter, frustrating the cops who began to refer to it as being "86'd".

the 21 club had similar systems of escape, however, for one reason or another, they were never found out until sometime later.

if they had been suspected earlier, we may have been using the term "21".

by the way, the dimensions of a grave are 3" wide X 6" long X 6" deep.
(my father owned a funeral home)
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m.

[this message has been edited by mgchef (edited july 24, 2000).]

mgchef,
I'm 6'4" When they bury me are they going to fold me in half to fit me in the coffin?

Tim

tim-

your going to have to have a custom casket. they're epensive, too.

as far as the hole, they'll just shave an extra few inches to squeeze you in.

and then, you too, will be "86".

regards,

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m.

My understanding was that the term got its name from Chumley's, which sits on the corner of Bedford and Barrow in NYC. It's address in #86(I can't remember which street). Whenever someone got to drunk or rowdy they simply had him removed and the next thing he was looking at was the #86 on the door. Thus 86'd.

I was under the impression that it referred to food only fit for the garbage can. To 86
something means "Throw It Out"

Today it does. Sayings like this change through time. It looks like we have several different versions of its origination, but your definition is right on for its current meaning.

JK